Ellen White's Perspective on Coffee and Tea Health Risks

Tea and coffee are harmful stimulants and narcotics that impair the energy of the body and mind while posing a serious threat to spiritual progressTSDF 145.3+2.

The Nature and Effect of These Stimulants

• False Strength: Tea and coffee provide a deceptive sense of invigoration by exciting the nerves of the stomach and brain, but they do not impart any real nourishment or natural strengthTe 75.3+2.

• Intoxication: To a certain extent, tea produces intoxication and acts in a character similar to spirituous liquors, while coffee beclouds the intellect and benumbs the energiesCCh 104.8+2.

• Physical Reaction: The immediate exhilaration or "high" is always followed by a corresponding depression, leaving the system lower and more debilitated than it was before the drink was taken5MR 298.1+2.

• Health Consequences: Regular use can lead to chronic issues such as headaches, wakefulness, palpitation of the heart, indigestion, sallow skin, and trembling nervesTSDF 145.3+3.

Spiritual and Moral Impact

• Warring Against the Soul: These indulgences are classed among the "fleshly lusts, which war against the soul" 1 Peter 2:11. They lower the standard of spirituality and make the mind less susceptible to the influence of the Holy SpiritCH 67.3+2.

• Developing Habits: The use of tea and coffee fosters an appetite for even stronger stimulants, often serving as a stepping stone toward the use of tobacco, wine, and liquorTSDF 149.4+2.

• Example of Ministers: Those who preach the gospel must be free from the bondage of appetite, as their practice should always be in harmony with their preaching20MR 6.1+2.

Guidance for Reform

• A Total Discard: The only safe course regarding tea and coffee is to "touch not, taste not, handle not"CCh 105.6+1.

• Overcoming the Habit: For some, breaking the tea and coffee habit is as difficult as it is for a drunkard to give up liquor, but through the power of the will and the grace of God, victory is possibleTe 81.3+1.

• The Best Alternatives: Pure water is the best liquid to cleanse the tissues, while "cereal coffee" or herb drinks, such as red clover top tea, are wholesome alternatives for those who desire a warm drink2SM 301.5+3.

• Educational Duty: Sanitariums and schools should educate people to discard these narcotics and replace them with nature's own provisions2SM 283.5+2.

Everything we do, even in our eating and drinking, should be done to the glory of God 1 Corinthians 10:31PCP 18.2. By practicing self-denial and following the principles of health reform, we preserve our physical and mental powers to better serve HimPH128 1.2+2.